Clothesline sheath



Aug. 9, 1938.

A. P. WILLIAMS CLOTHESLINE SHEATH 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1935 IN V EN TOR.

my mum mw W A Aug. 9, 1938.

A. P. WILLIAMS CLOTHESLINE SHEATH Filed Dgc. '7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 INVENTOR. By 140/) P WILL/ANS ATTORNEY from rust and/or dust on the line. a I! may be directly and permanently secured. As

' Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view at 66 portionsvorthe runners [5 which receive them 40 50 rows oflike members I! fixed directly to its oppotherethrough in guideways at the opposite run- 50 r Ma n, 1938 2,126,073

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIDTHESLINE SHEATH Ada P. Williams, Oakland, Calif. Application December 7, 1935,v Serial No. 53,328

6 Claims. (01. 211 119.1s)

The invention relates to a means for tempo-' may comprisea strip of any suitablewear-resistrarily covering a clothesline to prevent the diing and flexiblematerial, and is preferablythickrect contact of cloth articles mounted thereon ened at its opposite side edges to provide thickwith the line, whereby to protect the articles ened rim portions to which the rows of members A general object of the invention is to provide illustrated, the tape H comprisesa strip of woven a sheath which forms a closed tube about the fabric. i clothesline portion therein. The members l2 comprisegenerally U-shaped Another object is to provide a sheath of the elements which span the tape edges and are .7 l no class described which permits the application of clinched to said edges in evenly spaced relation. 10 usual clothes pins thereto for securing the ar- At their cross portions, the members 12 are ticles in place on the clothesline. shaped to provide rearwardly projecting and A further object is to provide a sheath which tapered points and forwardly opening sockets utilizes a slide fastener device for effecting its which are complementary to the points. 'The 15 closure and opening, whereby to provide for a members l2 of a row are so spaced that when 15 particularly ready mounting and' dismounting adjacent said members are mutually parallel; of the sheath. a they may receive and retain the cross portion of a An added object is "to provide a means for member of the other row between them; and, with automatically effecting the progressive mounting the point of the latter member engaging in the and dismounting of the sheath'with respect to a socket of the front member of the pair while 0 pulley clothesline. a v its socket receives the point of the rear member The invention possesses other objects and feaof the pair for securing the engaged members tures of advantage, some of which with the foreagainst separation. going, will be set forth or lie-apparent in the The engagement and disengagement of the following description of a typical embodiment members 12 of the two rows are arranged to be thereof, and in the accompanying drawings. in effected by the useof a sliding runner or lockingwhich, member l5 which is operative for simultaneously Figure 1 is an elevation"showing sheaths emengaging the two rows of members to spread adbodying my invention mounted on a continuous jacent; members of a row out of parallelism and 3 pulley line. p e s'o permit the engagement between them of a Figure 2 is a fragmentary'exterioryiew of a member from the other row. The movement of sheath in open and flat condition. I the runner I5 along the rows from or to the for- Figure 3 is a fragmentary underneath view of ward tape end is arranged to progressively intera partly closed sheath vona clothesline. lock or disengage the members of the two rows Figure 4 is a side view of the partly-mounted in accordance with the direction of motion of the 35 sheath, a runner for the slide fasteners thereof runner along therows. It is noted "that slidebeing shown as attached to a. fixed-element. controlled fasteners of the type now. described Figure 5 is an enlarged section at H in Figare now in common use, and that the specific ure 4. forms of, the fastening members l2 and of the in Figurel. are generally immaterial to the present inven- Figure 'l is an ,enlarged.elevation ofiaportion tion; e V a V e y of the showing of Figure l at a sheath-mounting The locking runner I5 is of a usual one-piece p a structure wherein outer and inner plate portions Figure 8 is ajsectio'nat 8-98 in Figure 7.. Y and I! are mutually parallel and are mutually 45 Figure 9 is a planvlew of the showing'of'Fige connected-solelyat one end by 'a narrowed'plate ure 7. 1' l r portionla which is arranged to engage between Essentially, the sheath of myinvention. com V the rows of members l2 to be connected while prises a length of tape ll having complementary said rows ofmembers extend longitudinally site edges and arranged forinterlcckln'g to secure ner si'des and in converging lines in such a man-* the tape edges togetherthereat when the tape is ner, that the ,two rows of members meet for formed into a tube: and the members l2 of the their interlocking within the runner.- A handle two rows are engaged in mutually staggered or pull tab l9 is-provided in the runner portion" and generally coplanar relation. The'tape l I IQ for use in eflfecting the sliding of the runner 55 7, along the rows of fasteners l2 to engage or disengage the latter. As shown, the pull tab Is is hingedly secured to the plate i8 and is provided with an opening 28 adjacent its free end.

Since it will usually be desirable to completely remove a sheath from about a clothesline, particularly if the latter is out of doors, or to mount a sheath on a line without dismounting the same from its supports, means are preferably provided for the detachable engagement of at least one row of fastening members with the runner I5, such a means being illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. As shown, a special one-piece member 22 is fixed to an edge of the tape at its forward end portion, said member providing a terminal stop 23 and a U-shaped guide-way 24, both extending in the plane of the tape portion thereat. The opposite tape edge portion is provided with a bead member 25 for sliding engagement in the guideway 24. When the runner I5 is mounted on the tape edge at the member 22 and is disposed against the member, the head 25 may be inserted therethrough andin the guideway .24 to engage the stop 23, after which the runner may be moved along the row of hooks 2 to en-- gage them in the described manner to provide atubular sheath. The member 22 and the bead member 25 may be formed of sheet metal and may be clinched or riveted to the tape in their respective positions, it being understood that said members cooperate to insure a proper starting for the closing of the tape to provide a sheath. Stops 25 may be provided at the rear tape end to prevent a detachment of the runner l5 thereat.

It will now be noted that a strip of the tape carrying the described fastening assembly may be mounted on a clothesline by laying the strip upon the line, engaging the bead 25 in the member 22 in the described manner and while the runner is disposed immediately adjacent the member 22, and then effecting a relative movement of the runner and tape longitudinally of the tape. With the fasteners of the mounted sheath at its lower side, the clothing thereon does not contact the fasteners and the placement oi. clothes pins over the cloth articles and sheath is facilitated. It will be understood that the tape may be held fixed and the runner l5 moved therealong, or the runner may be held fixed while the tape is'moved longitudinally of itself. The former method would be used in mounting the present sheath on a fixed line, while the latter method is particularly useful when the line 3| is continuous and extends between pulleys 32 in a usual manner, said pulleys extending from fixed hooks 33.

In Figure l, a sheath 2'! embodying the present invention is shown as being fully mounted on the line 3|, while a second and similar sheath 28 is shown as only partly mounted on the line and as'being engaged with a sheath-mounting unit 35 for facilitating the mounting of the sheath on the pulley line. The unit 35 essentially provides a means to dispose the sheath in overlying relation to the line and clear of the line at its unmounted portion, and secures the runner i5 against movement whereby the travel of the lower line portion and the sheath thereon from the unit 35*is arranged to progressively form the closed sheath about the line, the forward sheath end being fixed to the line as by means of theapplication of a clothes pin 29 over its forward end- In its present embodiment, the unit 35 comprises a frame member 38 in the form of a plate having transverse base extensions 31 whereby it may be mounted on the fixed support 38 which carries a pulley hook 33 and in parallel relation to the pulley 32 thereat. The extensions 31 may be provided with bayonet slot openings 38 for receiving the shanks of headed screws 48 engaged in the support 38; in this manner, the unit is arranged for removable mounting in its operative position.

Upper and lower stub shafts 42 and 43 extend transversely from the plate 36 adjacent its outer end and in a common plane which is generally upright. The shaft 42 is rotatably fixed to the extremity of an arm 44 which is pivoted to the plate 38 and is urged downwardly through the action of a leaf spring 45 which is coactive between it and a lug 48 extending from the upper plate edge. The shaft 43 is non-rotatably fixed in the plate 36,.a-nd the shafts 42 and 43 respectively-carry rollers 41 and 48 for free rotation thereabout and for mutually engaging a flattened portion of the sheath between them in the manner illustrated.

--Preferably, the plate 35 is so disposed that the centers of the rollers 41 and 48 lie in the plane of the adjacent linepulley 32 and so of the clothesline portion thereat whereby the sheath strip portion between the runner i5 and the rollers may be symmetrically opposite the underlying line portion. The roller treads are so formed that they are arranged to bear solely on the interior portion of the tape and do not engage the fastening members at the tape edges. The roller 48 is shown as provided with radial end flanges forguiding the open and flattened sheath between them. A knob 48 is mounted at the free end of the shaft 42 for use in lifting the roller 41 clear of the roller 48 for the insertion or removal of the sheath strip at the rollers.

A suitable guide member 5| is mounted on the plate 35 rearwardly of the rollers 41 and 48, and extends downwardly below and 'to one side of the lower clothesline strand on which the sheath is to be mounted. The member 5| provides a guideway trough which receives the tape to hold it clear of the clothesline while guiding the sheath strip to or from therollers, it being noted that the unmounted sheath portion below the member 5| may extend from a container 52 or a reel or even from the fioor at the base of the support 38.

An arm 53 extends forwardly from the bottom of the plate 38 to a point below the clothesline 3| at the runner i5, and is provided with means to engage and hold the tab IQ of the runner. As shown in Figure 4, the arm 53 is provided with an upright opening 54 which receives the tab l9, and a slide bolt 55 on its upper side is engageable within the tab opening 20 when the tab is disposed in the opening 54. In this manner, the runner is held against movement while the lower line strand is moved in or out to dismount or mount a sheath thereon.

With the present arrangement, the sheath 28 would be disposed for installation on the lower line strand by looping the front sheath end about the line, interengaging the bead 25 with the runner I 5 and the member 22 in the described manner, effecting a slight rearward movement of the runner l5, applying a clothes pin 29 on the forward sheath portion, attaching the runner to the arm 53 by engaging its tab IS with the bolt 55, and placing the flattened open sheath portion adjacent its forward end between the rollers 41 and 48 and in the guideway 5|. It is noted that all of the foregoing steps have been taken in the showing of Figure 1. An advancement of the lower line strand will now cause a secured closure of the sheath about the line, and the sheathed line may have the cloth'articles mounted thereon as it is advanced.

A reverse movement of the sheathed line portion will progressively open the sheath, the clothes being removed as they approach the runner l5, or before, and the sheath being manually disengaged from the line and unit 35 when the runner reaches the forward sheath end. To avoid any slack in the sheath portion between the runner and the rollers 41 and 48, a crank arm 56 may be mounted on the outer end of the roller 48, the outer end of said arm carrying a knob 51 for manual operation to effect a pulling in of the sheath and line. When the sheath is being installed, the rollers would sufliciently resist the operation to keep the sheath portion between the rollers and runner in taut condition.

It will be understood that the present sheath structure comprises a new and unitary article of manufacture, may be produced in any desired lengths, and isapplicable to elongated articles generally. And it will be further understood that the present sheath may be mounted on a clothesline without the provision and use of a runner holding means, as may be most desirable.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation of the present device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the features and the application of the device in' what I now consider to be a generally preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showing is primarily illustrative, and that such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a clothesline sheath for mounting on a longitudinally movable clothesline, a strip of flexible material of uniform width for wrapped disposal about the line, rows of mutually complementary fastening members provided at and along the side edges of the strip and arranged for mutuallyinterlocked engagement when the strip is formed into a closed tube with the members of the two rows disposed in alignment, a locking runner simultaneously engaging the fastening members of the two rows for engaging or disengaging said rows of fastening members as the strip and runner are relatively moved in the line of members, and means securing the runner against movement whereby a longitudinal movement of the line and sheath together is arranged to progressively close the sheath as the forward sheath end moves away from the runner and to progressively open the sheath as the forward sheath end moves toward the runner.

2. In a clothesline cover for mounting on a longitudinally movable clothesline, a strip of flex'i le material for shaping into a tubular shea enclosing the line, rows of mutually complementary fastening member fixed at the side edges of the strip and arranged for mutually interlocked engagement when .the strip is formed into a laterally closed tube, a locking runner simultaneously engaging the fastening members of the two rows for engaging or disengaging said rows of fastening members, means securing the runner against movement whereby a longitudinal movement of the sheath is arranged to render the runner operative to open or close the sheath, rollers frictionally engaging an open sheath portion between them, and means to actuate a said roller to effect a longitudinal movement of the closed sheath portion toward the runner.

3. In combination with a longitudinally movable clothesline, a strip of flexible material for wrapped disposal about the line to provide a sheath therefor, rows of mutually complementary together is arranged to operate the locking mechanism of the runner to progressively close the sheath as the forward sheath end moves away from the runner and to progressively open the sheath as the forward sheath end moves toward said runner.

4. In combination with a clothesline, a strip of flexible material for shaping into a tubular sheath enclosing the line, rows of mutually complementary fastening members mounted at the side edges of the strip and arranged for mutually interlocked engagement when the strip is formed into a laterally closed sheath, a locking runner simultaneously engaging the fastening members of the two rows for engaging or disengaging said rows of fastening members, means securing the runner against movement whereby a longitudinal movement of the sheath is arranged to render the runner operative to open or close the sheath. and means operative upon the sheath to effect a longitudinal movement thereof.

5. A structure in accordance. with claim 4 wherein the last means progressively engages the open sheath portion at a fixed distance from the runner to eflect a longitudinal movement of the closed sheath portion toward the runner to progressively open said portion at the runner.

. 6. In combination with a longitudinally movable cloth'esline, a strip of flexible material adapted for forming into a tubular sheath about the line, rows of mutually complementary fastening members mounted at the side edges of the strip and arranged formutually interlocked engagement when the strip is formed into a sheath, a locking runner simultaneously engaging the fastening members of the two rows thereof,

means securing the strip to the clothesline at -a closed point of the strip, and means securing the runner against movement whereby a longitudinal movement of the line to move the closed portion. of the strip away from the runner is arranged to progressively effect a closing of the sheath.

ADA P. WILLIAMS. 

